Brillat-Savarin (Normandy)

This cow’s milk cheese was named by Henri Androuët, a hugely famous maître fromager. Brillat-Savarin replaces a cheese called Magnum, which ceased to be made in the early 1970s, by a small family producer Dubuc located near Forges-les-Eaux, a beautiful spot in the heart of Normandy. Brillat-Savarin is made in Normandy as well as the Île de France, using a similar recipe to Magnum of full-fat milk with cream added and Penicillium candidum, which gives it a white bloomy rind and a flaky, buttery interior. This cheese is rich and silky eaten fresh, when there is a lactic earthiness to its taste. If allowed to mature, the texture becomes more dense and nuttier in flavour. It is particularly good with a vintage Champagne, but even a blonde beer works well with the creaminess of this cheese.